Technology is not the Problem // Random Thoughts
by Josh Levine
You may have seen this New York Times article making the controversial statement that the DVR may be helping, rather than hurting TV ratings. They say this as a great revelation, as if to say that of course we all know that the DVR is in fact killing TV, which makes the proclamation breaking news.
The article asserts that many people record the shows and actually sit through the commercials. In a single paragraph, the venerable Times has solved the advertising industry’s woes.
If only life were that simple.
Let’s forget about the fact that a growing number of us are letting the commercials play because we’re checking email, Twitter, Facebook, AIM, text messages, or any number of other activities on our phones and computers.
The harsher truth is that for an increasingly savvy audience, it doesn’t matter whether we see the commercials or not. We’re not going to be swayed by silly jingles or celebrity shills. We could skip through the shows and watch only the commercials, we still wouldn’t buy your products that have no soul, that are the same as everything else on the shelf next to you. We’re simply smarter than that.
Successful marketers need to think beyond “cutting through the clutter,” and “disruption.” Assume for a minute that you do have our attention. Now what are you going to say?
2012 Outdoor Ads // Hate It or Love It
by Josh Levine
I'm generally against most outdoor advertising. Mainly because most of it sucks and ends up forming what I would call urban blight. From my perspective, ...
Times Square // On The Run
by Josh Levine
Rebel was in New York two weeks ago to kick off the 2009 Major League Gaming season. We manage sponsor activation for Dr Pepper in ...
Pepsi Again // Don’t Believe The Hype
by Josh Levine
I’ve already given Pepsi plenty of shit for its gross irresponsibility on the logo redesign. Today a writer from a leading business magazine, both of ...
Emirates // Don’t Believe the Hype
by Josh Levine
Does this even need explaining? It's an ad for Emirates first class that I saw yesterday on the BART in San Francisco. I also saw the ...
Pandora x Blue Moon // Random Thoughts
by Josh Levine
I clicked on a banner ad the other day! Not the first time it's ever happened, but pretty close to it. I, like most of you ...
The 4 C’s of Being Grassroots // Random Thoughts
by Josh Levine
A client told me recently that because the brand has hit tough times, they’re “going back to basics,” which is code for spending a greater ...
The Other Half // Random Thoughts
by Josh Levine
Some dude once said "half of my ad dollars are wasted, I just don't know which half." That guy was a starry-eyed optimist. A little ...
